Title: Wings of Freedom
Part: 3
Author: W. Bymeeh
Rating: PG-15
E-mail: jhyunl@aol.com
Website: http://jayhyun.tripod.com/sm/  

*Author's Note: Sorry this took so long to get out!  I finally 
got it done!  This part is longer than the others, and more 
complex, so that's my excuse.  I can no longer churn out a part a 
week, for no reason other than I'm pickier about how each part 
comes out (this is a good thing in the long run)...Oh, yeah, plus 
once vacation is over, I really should study physics.  Good news 
is that I can usually get out *something* per week.  ^_^  Part 4 
is where the romance *really* starts heating up.  Give me some 
time, but let me know if you like this part!  Thanks!  I love e-
mail!  Please, e-mail...

*This part is dark at times, and it's the lowest point in this 
fic.  Some mild violence that I don't like either, but I felt was 
necessary...wait, I'm making it sound worse than it is, but you have 
been warned.  If you don't like angst, wait for chapter 4, which 
is all sunshine and hearts.

--> My latest work on this series is dedicated to Tenshi-chan, 
whom I still owe a long e-mail to.  Sorry about that, I need to 
reinstall stuff on my computer.  ^_^  Merry Christmas to my 
constant e-mail buddy!  As always, thanks to Rena Shields for her 
support and keeping me up late with the sounds of the latest 
video game, and who needs to write more fics.  

*To everyone who reads my work, visits my site, and gives me 
encouraging messages, THANK YOU!  I can't tell you how happy such 
comments make me feel about my writing.  It really makes 
everything *more* worthwhile.  ^_^  Happy Holidays, and have a 
great New Year!  [I don't know about everyone else, but since I'm 
not old enough to drink, I'll be sipping apple cider on New 
Year's Eve.  ^_^ ]

*Disclaimer: Yawn, I'm tired...these characters aren't mine, k?  

				Wings of Freedom
   				     Part 3 

[On the moon]

	Queen Serenity walked into the royal garden, enjoying a 
rare moment of peace from her duties as queen.  She was greeted 
with the sight of the princesses of the inner planets sitting 
quietly on the edge of the garden's stone fountain.  Their faces 
were somber, and all gazes were directed at the blue planet that 
was high in the sky.  The air lacked their usual chatter, and 
only the soft sound of the water bubbling could be heard.  
	Queen Serenity sighed, and closed her eyes.  Concentrating, 
she could feel the distant presence of her daughter, sending back 
feelings of warmth and security back to her...as of now.  Serena 
was safe; even the barriers between the Earth and the Moon could 
not cut off the bond between mother and daughter.  
	However, that was all she could discern.  Nothing more.    
	"She's safe...and she would not want you to worry about 
her," Queen Serenity spoke in a soft voice, making each girl jump 
in surprise.  They looked up in surprise at the appearance of 
their queen, who stood before them in her royal dress and 
intricate wings of silver, far more grand than any of theirs. 
	She smiled tolerantly at them as each of them stood up 
abruptly and dusted off their dresses, trying to make themselves 
presentable.  "I even have reason to believe that she is happy 
there, in the new home that she has adopted."  Her gaze fell upon 
the fiery princess of Mars, who, unlike the others, was staring 
at the ground.  She knew that Raye had taken Serena's absence 
harder than the others.  "And Raye, she does not blame you or 
anyone else for being there."
	Raye raised her sad dark eyes to the Queen, and the scarlet 
wings that she wore drooped.  She said softly, "We should not 
have left her behind."  
	Mina stepped closer to Raye and placed a hand on her arm.  
She spoke clearly, and for everyone's ears.  "We did not leave 
her behind.  She made sure that we left before the moonlight ran 
out."  
	Raye angrily stepped away, breaking Mina's hold.  "She had 
no right to choose for us!  She should've know that we would have 
stayed and protected her!"  Her voice broke, and a few tears 
dropped onto the grass below.  
	"Raye."  Queen Serenity spoke the single syllable gently.  
"Don't torture yourself like this.  Serena feared keeping you on 
Earth for her sake.  She has never liked the concept of you four 
protecting her, and always preferred having you as friends 
instead of bodyguards.  In fact, she's never liked the concept of 
being a princess at all."  She chuckled slightly, and a reluctant 
smile came to all four of the girls' faces.  "I'm quite sure that 
she is having quite an adventure on Earth...but she is safe and 
happy.  I know, because I can feel it through the barriers 
between the Moon and the Earth."  
	Lita gave a slight grin.  "You know how she always looked 
at the Earth, and said that she wished she could spend more than 
one night there."  
	Amy glanced at the blue orb in the sky.  "And think of 
everything that she's learning about Earth right now!"  
	The other girls groaned while Queen Serenity smiled.  
	"Serena will come back.  And you might end up being jealous 
of the time she spent on Earth!"  With those parting words, Queen 
Serenity walked away, hoping that the girls would take heart at 
her words.  She did not tell them of what she else had felt from 
Serena.  
	She could tell that her daughter missed her friends and 
family.  But like the bright star that she was, she was spending 
her time living life to the fullest, while still looking forward 
to the day she could come home.  
	Serena enjoyed life.  That was the simple truth of it, 
something that Queen Serenity had remembered since she was a 
little baby, cooing happily at everything and everyone.  She 
should not have been surprised that Serena was fitting in well on 
Earth as well, for she had an aura that pulled people to her.       
	But Queen Serenity could also feel something...that was 
pulling her daughter away from her.  Serena had always felt an 
attraction to the planet of Earth.  It could be called a 
fascination, an interest, or an unnatural curiosity about the 
planet and everything on it.  Now, her extended stay on Earth was 
causing the attraction to form into a stronger bond between her 
daughter and Earth.  A kind of bond that did not lessen Serena's 
bond with her mother...but could overpower it with its strength.  
A different kind of bond.  What exactly it was, Queen Serenity 
did not know.  And she only hoped that it would not hamper her 
daughter's return to the moon.  
	'My daughter, will you ever be happy on the Moon after what 
you have known on the Earth?' Queen Serenity asked sadly to the 
blue sphere in the sky.  

[On the Earth]

	Serena paused at the gates of the castle and glanced around 
at the fields before her.  She didn't dare to go too far in 
unfamiliar territory, so she decided to stay in view of the 
castle gates as she strode forward into the meadows with the 
purpose of gathering flowers.    
	She cast a worried glance at the sky, whose sky-blue 
tapestry was rapidly being covered by a thick layer of clouds.  
She knew that it must be another sign that summer was ending, in 
addition to there being less flowers to find.  However, Serena 
was determined to come back with at least one bouquet to the 
palace.  One thing that she did not miss about the Moon was the 
absence of flowers, and she intended to absorb every moment of 
having the sweet scent with her as long as she stayed on Earth.  
How she loved the Earth...
	She saw a flash of blue peeking out behind a clump of 
grass, and bent over to add it to her growing collection.  She 
didn't know what the name of it was, but it was pretty.  She 
paused for a moment and stared at the flower.  
	The petals of the flower were a dark, midnight blue, while 
the center was streaked with white.  The blue was the exact shade 
of his eyes, she realized.  
	She remembered waking up that first morning and looking 
into his eyes.  Such a mysterious blue...filled with some kind of 
stormy emotion that she could not identify.  And yet she knew, 
instinctively, that these eyes...they belonged to a soul who 
would never hurt her.  
	And yet those eyes belonged to someone who had taken her 
wings.  
	Serena sighed, and tucked the flower carefully away with 
the rest of her bouquet.    
	Why was it that she could recall them with such clarity?  
She had not even seen him since...
	Since she had told him to leave.  
	She winced involuntarily.  She did not like hurting anyone, 
and there had been such clear pain in those eyes...such 
longing...
	And why was it that she remembered it so well?  
	Frowning, she made her way through the field looking for 
more flowers.  She always found a variety of wildflowers, 
although never the roses that she loved dearly.  She knew that 
the roses must only grow in special places, like on the shore by 
the lake...but she could not find her way there easily, and she 
had no one to ask.   
	The thought of Darien drifted easily back to her mind.  It 
would be so easy to just ask him to show her the way.  
	It would be so easy to just be friends.  
	Serena wondered about her feelings for Darien.  She had 
only been in his presence for a few moments, and yet...
	There was something about him.  She had never seen the 
likes of him on the moon, that was for sure.  
	On the moon, she had been surrounded by her mother and her 
dearest friends.  She had wonderful times there...even if she was 
not the most accomplished princess, she had always been able to 
find something to be happy about.  The food that Lita cooked so 
skillfully, the knowledge that Amy had, the crazy ideas that Mina 
came up with, even the fights with Raye...but Serena had to 
admit, that she had always felt like there was something missing.  
	Serena closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of the 
flowers.  That moment, when she had seen him.  
	Was he the missing part?
	But here on Earth, she felt that she was still missing 
something.  She didn't have her friends with her.  She was 
surrounded by new and exciting sights and sounds...but she had no 
one to show her the way.  
	Queen Lia was often busy with her royal duties, and the 
king was kind, but he was equally as busy.  The servants had 
their own jobs to take care of, and no extra time for her.  The 
generals, amused as they were by her, were busy concentrating on 
training and work, and did not have time to take her around.   
	Would Darien?  
	Would she ask him was a better question.  With 
heartbreaking clarity Serena remembered the cold, harsh facts as 
she wandered absentmindedly through the field, neatly avoiding 
the occasional gopher hold.  He still had her wings.  She would 
have to face him sometime, if she ever wanted to go home at the 
end of the year.
	Home.  At the end of the year.  
	Her heart seemed to beat unsteadily as she turned to head 
back to the palace, and her head pounded with a feeling of dread.  
Feeling unsettled, she began her way back with heavy steps.  

	Darien stood in the shadows of the castle wall, blending in 
with the help of his drab gray cloak.  He watched Serena wander 
through the field, occasionally stopping to pick flowers, with a 
smile on his lips.  
	She was so...so, special, he decided.  There was no way to 
describe her essence perfectly.  She was so much more than a 
pretty face, although to him she was the most beautiful girl he 
had ever seen in his life.  
	The way she brought a smile to everyone's faces was an 
extraordinary gift.  She even had the knack of making his 
generals genuinely laugh, and that was an ability that Darien had 
yet to perfect.  
	She treated all, from the nobles to the servants, with the 
same grace and cheery attitude.  'No,' Darien corrected himself.  
She sometimes treated the servants better than some of the men 
who flirted with her.  She became impatient rather quickly with 
some of the noblemen who had flirted with her, and would 
immediately drop hints that the Queen was watching over her, 
which would result in the man getting as far from her as 
possible.  
	Darien wondered if she was a fairy princess from the land 
that she came from.  She had such an unconscious...air about her.  
Even when she accidentally tripped or was caught sneaking food 
from the kitchen, she would give a guilty grin, as if to say, 
"This is the way I am...love me anyway."    When it came to 
Serena, everyone seemed to naturally want her to be happy.  
	All this, Darien had been able to discern through his 
constant spying on her, or through questioning his generals or 
the servants (in a roundabout fashion).  And yet he had not the 
courage to go up and simply talk to her.  
	He feared her accusations, her resentment, her 
blame...because it would all be well deserved.  
	His smile turned sad as he watched her finish picking 
flowers and head slowly back to the palace.  At least he had the 
chance to simply see her, for a little while...even if she had no 
idea he was alive, at least he could watch her pick flowers, see 
her smile, hear her laugh...and that, at least, was far better 
than if she had gone back to wherever she had come from, where he 
would never see her again.  
	Somewhat better.  

	Serena felt something tug at her heart, and instantly knew 
what it was.  She could feel it, her mother was reaching out for 
her through the barriers between the Moon and the Earth.  She 
knew that they were all safe there, and she tried to send back a 
feeling of reassurance back, that she was all right.  But it 
wasn't enough.  
	Her mother missed her.  Her friends missed her.  Although 
they knew she was safe, they missed her.  
	And how she missed them too.  She didn't like to dwell on 
the subject, because she knew that she could not to do anything 
about it...but she was lonely on Earth, although she was 
experiencing so many new things...she wanted them to be with her 
too.  "Mother," she whispered, dropping all of the flowers to the 
ground and falling to her knees.  "Everyone..."  
	She looked up to the sky where the moon was no longer 
visible through the storm clouds.  "I miss you all..."  She felt 
something wet on her cheek, and noticed that it had started to 
rain.  The tears that began to flow mingled with the raindrops, 
and she dropped her head to stare, her vision blurring, at the 
ground.    
	
	Darien was watching Serena begin to walk toward the castle, 
and instinctively moved deeper into the shadows, when he saw her 
fall to her knees.  
	Instinct took over and all other resolutions fell away, as 
in an instant he ran the distance between them and knelt by her 
side.  She was staring at the ground, crying, and it was his 
arrival that caused her to turn her face to his.  Surprise 
immediately entered her luminous blue eyes before she looked 
away.    
	'She's crying,' Darien thought, instant pain entering his 
heart that she should be unhappy.  "Are you all right?" he asked 
softly.  "I...I saw you fall..."  
	She turned her face away without saying a word, and only 
stared at the fallen flowers around her.  Darien felt something 
inside of him ache as he saw the downcast expression on her face, 
and wished he could do something to help her.  
	Serena was unsure of what to say, faced with the man who 
had taken her wings from her and had all but disappeared since.  
The only words that came to her mind...were the truth.  
	"I miss my friends.  I miss my family."  Her tears had 
lessened, but she still refused to face the man next to her.  "I 
even miss my cat."  She gave a wry smile at the last one, 
thinking what Luna would say if she heard that Serena had 
referred to the royal advisor as 'my cat'.  Luna and Artemis were 
far more than family pets, but Serena couldn't exactly say that 
at the present moment.  "Here on Earth, I am all alone."  Her 
last words were a whisper, and might have been swept away on the 
wind if Darien had not leaned closer to hear what she was saying.  
	Darien fought the strange hurt that rose in him at her last 
words.  He was here now, wasn't he?  He stared at her downcast 
face, and reason returned to him.  She was lonely...so was he.  
She hadn't run away from him, and she was actually confiding in 
him.  Maybe...this was a chance for them to start over.  
	He reached over and took one of her hands in his that had 
been resting in her lap.  She turned and looked into his eyes, 
surprised, but did not take her hand away.  
	"You don't have to be alone if you don't want to be...I 
could be your friend, Serena."  Although secretly he wanted much, 
much more...Darien longed just to be close to her.  
	Serena felt some kind of dizzying warmth come over her as 
Darien held her hand.  It felt...nice, which was surprising.  She 
felt peculiar, in shock from what he had said, maybe because he 
sounded so sincere.  After the words she had told him, he still 
wanted to be her friend?  
	She stared into his eyes, which were as blue as she had 
remembered them.  They still had that mysterious emotion swirling 
around in them...a hint of longing?  Pain?  Need?  His eyes 
called to her...asked her to be his friend...to be something 
more...to let him do what he asked. 
	And yet...
	 
	He had *stolen* her wings.                               
	
	How could they be friends?  Was it possible?  

	Serena just knew in her heart that they had to overcome 
this obstacle before...something...anything could happen between 
them.  What that something was, she did not know, but she knew 
from looking at Darien's handsome profile, that she wanted it to 
happen.  She took a deep breath and said what weighed heavily on 
her heart.   
	"Why did you take my wings?" Serena asked in a soft voice 
as she fingered the petal of a white lily.  She focused on the 
flower instead of on him...and she felt more rain begin to softly 
fall as she began to gather her flowers together again.  
	Darien was not prepared for that question, and found that 
he did not have the courage to tell her it was because he had not 
been able to take his eyes off of her the moment he had first 
seen her, and had been overcome by a feeling of loss and 
desperation when he thought of her leaving him.  He could not 
tell her that everything she did had come to mean more to him 
than anything else in his life, and he could not precisely tell 
her that he had been covertly spying on her ever since the queen 
had demanded that he stay away from her.  
	The silence was immense, but it didn't seem to affect 
Serena as it did Darien, who was going through silent torture on 
whether to confess what was going on in his heart.  
	A passing strand of hope attached itself to Darien's mind, 
and he wondered suddenly if she might not totally hate him if he 
told her the truth.  He was about to gather remnants of his 
shattered courage and speak when she posed another question for 
him.  
	"Will you give them back to me when I have to leave?"  
Serena did not know where she got the strength to ask this 
question, but perhaps it was because she had just felt the 
sadness of her mother on the Moon, without her.  Perhaps because 
she realized just how much she missed her friends, who had always 
been there for her.  
	Perhaps because she just wanted to start over with Darien.  
For they could never have any kind of relationship with the 
shadow of her stolen wings hanging over both of them.  She had to 
know that he would give what he had taken back to her...so they 
could be equals.  
	But Darien did not see that.  
	Time simply froze.  
	Everything disappeared as Serena lifted her head to look up 
into Darien's eyes.  In that moment, he was hopelessly lost as he 
fell into two pools of the purest blue that had the ability to 
light up the world.  
	But they were not sparkling now; the light was dimmed.  Her 
eyes glimmered with tears that she had shed and was trying to 
hold back, and they were filled with a sadness that she usually 
managed to keep hidden.  
	The rain fell harder, and it was like tiny icicles biting 
into Darien's scalp.  With the coldness, came the thought that 
was nailed into his head, "She wants to leave, she wants to 
leave, she wants to leave...me."  
	And his head was screaming at him to just tell her that he 
would give her wings back...it was the promise that honor 
required him to do, the code of honor that he had lived by his 
entire life and had never broken.  It was the only honorable 
thing for him to do.  
	But he had never felt this way before.  
	And he didn't want to do it, he didn't want to say it, he 
didn't want her to leave him.  A voice whispered in his mind that 
she could still grow to love him, and that he wouldn't have to 
give her back her wings.  'Why won't you give me a chance?' he 
cried inside.  
	Darien was blind to the truth...Serena *was* giving him a 
chance.  But unlike her, he did not understand people, did not 
understand relationships, did not know what she was trying to do.  
	His lips moved but no words came out as he stared at her, 
helpless as the conflicting emotions rushed through him.  He was 
powerless to do anything.  
	And time began again.  
	Serena felt the cold rain penetrate her dress, but felt 
more deeply the freezing in her heart. 'He can't even say 
anything...'    
	The rain fell harder.  Before Darien could do anything, 
Serena leapt up and began running away, and the flowers that had 
clung to the lace of her skirt drifted away and fell to the 
ground.  
	Darien suddenly found his voice again as another concern 
overrode his earlier confusion.  The rain had begun coming down 
harder, and Serena was running away in the opposite direction of 
the castle.  
	"Serena!" he yelled.  "Wait, please!"  
	He ran after her, his eyes following every movement of the 
slim figure who was desperately racing away.  Quicker then he 
thought was possible, she had slipped away from him, and the 
sheets of rain coming down blurred his vision.   
	"Serena!"  

	"Mother," Serena sobbed as she ran blindly through the 
rain.  "Raye...Amy...Lita...Mina...I want to be there with you!"  
	She had never thought that he would not return her wings.  
She had thought, from looking into his eyes...that he would not 
be that kind of man...
	She had even given him another chance.  
	"How could I have been so stupid?" Serena screamed out loud 
to the sky.  Tears streamed down her face, and still she felt the 
icy rain coming down upon her.  "How could I have...been willing 
to TRUST him?"  
	She stopped after that outburst of emotion, and for the 
first time noticed where she was.  She swallowed another sob as 
she looked around, seeing how she had somehow ran into the 
thickest part of the forest.  The lighting was dim, and the 
immense trees all grew closely together, so that she could not 
see through to the other side.  
	Fear entered her heart and overrode her emotional pain as 
she turned around and realized that she had left the castle far 
behind.  
	She screamed out loud as she heard the nearby rumble of 
thunder, and immediately turned and ran away from it.  In her 
blind panic, she did not see the knobby roots of the tree that 
stretched out in front of her, and her foot caught.  
	She fell to the ground, and did not get up.  

	Darien heard Serena's scream as he ran haphazardly through 
the forest, and changed directions.  He knew the forests well, 
and was able to cross through the dense trees and obstacles 
quickly. 
	He saw a small clearing up ahead, and saw a patch of white 
on the floor.  He rounded the trees blocking him and was 
confronted with the sight of a motionless Serena huddled on the 
forest ground.  
	"Serena!" he cried out as he ran to her side.  He picked up 
her wrist and felt her pulse, and was instantly flooded with the 
welcome feeling of relief.  But then he realized how unnaturally 
cold her hand was, and his heart began to panic once more.  
	He cradled her limp body in his arms, fear coursing through 
every vein of his body.  'This isn't happening,' he told himself.  
Out loud, he said, "Serena, please..."  He repeated it over and 
over, but she didn't move or respond in any way.  
	Swiftly, he took off his cloak and wrapped it around her, 
never letting her go for longer than necessary.  He stood up and 
hugged her body close to his, feeling her rain-drenched body and 
fearing the worst, but not wanting to face it.  
	He began walking back to the palace as fast as he could, 
holding Serena's motionless body close to his, in a desperate 
attempt to warm her up.  
	For a moment, he had de ja vu as he recalled another time 
when he had headed towards the palace, Serena huddled in his 
arms.  
	But he had not known what he was doing then.  He had taken 
a girl from her home, her family, and all that she knew...he 
hadn't even asked.  He hadn't even thought about how it would 
make her feel.  
	He hadn't even known what he was doing when he had blindly 
followed what his heart was telling him to do.  And after he had 
followed his heart, he had followed his head, telling himself 
that not seeing Serena would be the best for all...not even 
making amends to her for what he had done.  
	How could he have been so blind?  
	Stupid, stupid, stupid.  
	If Serena did not make it back to her home at the end of 
the year, Darien realized he would never forgive himself.  
	It was already too late for her to forgive him.  

***

	Queen Lia took one look at her soaked son and the sodden 
bundle in his arms and immediately began shouting orders for 
servants, clothes, blankets, and all of the healers in the city.  
	Although the king handled much of the military affairs and 
the brute power of the kingdom, when the queen gave an order, it 
was immediately obeyed.  
	Darien, despite his struggles to see Serena, was examined 
by a healer and ordered to rest for several days, to ensure that 
he did not suffer from being in the rain so long.  
	But the only thing that Darien was suffering from was 
pain...and guilt...in his heart.  
	
	Darien awoke after an enforced two-day containment in his 
room, and was determined that nothing would stand in his way from 
seeing Serena.  
	'Now, now I will tell her.  I will tell her the truth.  I 
will give her back her wings, her freedom...Oh, Serena.  I'm so 
sorry that I caused you so much pain.'  He knew that he had to 
tell her everything.  
	He breathed in deeply as he quickly dressed.  It had been 
two days since that fateful day in the rain, and he had 
completely recovered.  He was certain that Serena must have 
recovered as well, and he strode quickly toward her room through 
the hallways.     
	It was unusually silent in the wing where Serena's room 
was.  He glanced around, and noted the somber expressions on the 
faces of the servants who would walk by on errands.  He felt a 
passing chill, but brushed it aside quickly.  
	'She has to be alright,' he thought to himself.  'I have to 
tell her...'  
	Darien was about to open the door to Serena's room when it 
opened.  Surprised, he stepped back to let the person come out.  
	Queen Lia walked out of the door, and in shock Darien 
stared at his mother.  He had known that she had checked on him 
while he was resting, but he had not actually spoken to her, or 
seen her...
	The expression on her face was one that he had never seen 
before.  Despair was etched into every line of her face, and her 
brown eyes, usually warm and laughing...were filled with sadness.  
	She looked very, very old.  As if she was tired of the 
world, and everything in it.  As if she had seen something that 
she did not want to see...
	"Serena," Darien whispered.  
	Lia had seen how her son had watched Serena from a 
distance, longing in his eyes.  She had known the ways in which 
he had asked others about the girl from another place, and what 
she liked, and what she did, and how she spent her days.  
	She knew that Darien loved the girl she loved as a 
daughter.  
	But she had no easy words for him, nothing that would 
comfort his heart.  That was why she had made sure that he had 
remained locked away until he had fully recovered, because he 
would not rest if he had known how Serena truly was.  
	"Her fever burns her, and yet she shivers as if she's 
freezing.  She cannot stop coughing when she's awake, and when 
she finally falls asleep she cries in her dreams, and calls out 
for people whom I do not know."  Lia's eyes flickered with 
sadness.  "Her family, her friends, presumably."  And also you, 
Lia thought silently.  She calls out, asking why you wouldn't 
give her back her wings.  My son, you really could not be 
satisfied with anyone in this world...
	But what was done was done.  Lia choked out the remaining 
words as she said, "She's dying, Darien."  
	"No," Darien said hoarsely, shaking his head in denial.  
"No, she's not dying.  I have to talk to her, tell her---"  
	Lia cried out, "I can't even reach her anymore.  She 
doesn't hear me, hear anyone.  She's delirious half the time, and 
unconscious the other.  The healers can't do anything---"  
	Darien was still shaking his head incessantly, refusing to 
listen to his mother.  "No, she'll get better, I'll talk to her 
and tell her everything she needs to know, and then she'll be 
happy again...she likes it here, remember---"  
	Even the queen was not always a queen...but always a human.  
Lia struck her son on the face, and screamed, "Darien, it would 
have been better if SHE HAD NEVER COME HERE BECAUSE SHE'S GOING 
TO DIE!"  
	Queen Lia let out a strangled sob and ran down the hallway, 
leaving her devastated son behind.  


[On the moon]  
	
	Queen Serenity was the most powerful being in the universe.  
She was the holder of the Silver Imperium Crystal, and supreme 
ruler of the Moon and its surrounding planets, with the exception 
of the isolated Earth.  
	She did not often cry.  
	But she was crying now.  
	"Serena," she called out, as she stared at the Earth from 
her window.  She could not break the long-standing barriers 
between the Earth and the Moon.  She could not reach her 
daughter.  
	She could not send her power, give her energy, or heal her 
pain.  
	She could not stop her daughter from dying.  
	She wept.  


[On the Earth]
	
	With a trembling hand Darien opened the door to Serena's 
room, and walked inside with unsteady steps.  
	It was eerily silent, as the healers had been unable to do 
anything beyond the standard treatment of trying to keep Serena's 
temperature stable and feeding her periodically, which Lia had 
insisted on doing herself.
	Darien felt that every step he took across the padded 
carpet came out as a loud thump, or perhaps that was the guilt 
that weighed down the beating of his heart.  He somehow managed 
to cross the distance from the door to her bedside, and he stared 
down at the girl who had captured his heart from the moment he 
had met her.  
	His heart began to beat erratically once more as he noted 
everything about Serena.  She was lying very still underneath the 
covers, an irregular rising of the blankets that covered her the 
only sign that she still breathed.  
	Her eyes were shut tight, and the thought came back to 
Darien once more, that he wished he could wake her so that he 
could see her beautiful blue eyes...
	Her sweet face was pale...too pale.  He remembered admiring 
the flush in her cheeks that would come from her running through 
the hallways, or when she was caught sneaking yet another serving 
of cake.   
	Her hair...her shimmering golden hair...it was gone...
	Darien felt a great amount of loss at seeing the long 
length of golden hair diminished to above her shoulders.  The 
loss was more on her part, because he knew that she must love her 
hair...and he knew that it would pain her.  
	It must have been thought because of the fever, Darien 
thought absently as he continued to look at Serena, his heart 
rejecting the facts before his very eyes.  
	It was true.  
	She was dying.  
	And it was his fault.  
	
	Darien kneeled by Serena's bed, and for long moments simply 
looked at her.  He really looked at her.  
	He saw a girl who was suffering.  Who was lonely.  Who was 
dying.  
	Not some mythical creature, not a magical fairy.  
	A human.  
	'My fault,' Darien whispered to himself.  He could not 
imagine that he would ever be in more pain, carry more guilt, or 
be more devastated than at this moment.  'My fault...'    
	Gently he reached for the listless hand on top of the 
covers, and covered it with his own.  He thought he felt her 
stir, but it might have only been his imagination.   
	"Serena...I have nothing else to say than that I am sorry.  
I am so sorry for what I did...for what I took from you."  Darien 
spoke the words from his heart, and his voice trembled with the 
emotion behind them.  Every word he spoke was the truth, and he 
bared his heart as he had never done before.  "I did not know 
what else I was taking away from you when I took your wings.  I 
didn't know that I took away your home...your family...your 
friends.  Your freedom.  Serena---" his voice broke, and he held 
her hand unconsciously tighter.  "I did not mean for this to 
happen.  I never meant, never wanted to hurt you."  A tear slid 
down his cheek, the almighty prince of Earth.  "Serena, please 
hear me...I'm so sorry..."  He knew that it wasn't enough, that 
it would never be enough that he was sorry.  
	"Serena, please believe me when I say that I wish I could 
go back in time and stop myself from taking your wings, because I 
would rather have you live and be happy on your home, than here 
on the Earth...and not."  And he added in a soft, humble whisper, 
"I love you that much...and more."  
	And then he laid his head next to her hand, and cried.  

[On the Moon]

	Queen Serenity felt something tug at her heart, and the 
tears that she had been weeping suddenly lessened as she was 
filled with the feeling of warmth, relief...of life.    
	Her daughter was fighting back...she could feel it.  
	Something had happened, something had changed...what it was 
due to, Queen Serenity cared not.    
	"Serena, live and be happy, that's all I want," Queen 
Serenity whispered to her daughter a planet away.  

[On the Earth]

	Darien, in a dream-like state, thought he felt someone 
caress his cheek, and wondered who it was.  
	Then he remembered where he was, and why he was there, and 
he opened his eyes and found himself staring into two glorious 
eyes of blue, a sight that he had believed he would not have the 
chance to see again.  
	"Serena?" he said, in disbelief.  
	Serena was gazing at him with a sweet smile on her lips, 
sitting partially up with her short hair sticking up around her 
in clumps.  "Thank you, Darien," she whispered, but her blue eyes 
sparkled like they had before, and Darien felt joy in his heart.  
	And then she closed her eyes and fell back again, as if 
exhausted by the simple effort of sitting up. 
	"Serena!" Darien cried out, grabbing her hand as if it was 
his lifeline to sanity.  
	His call reached out into the hallway, and a nearby healer 
rushed into the room.  Unable to move the steadfast prince, he 
reached around him and pressed a hand to Serena's pale forehead.  
	In hushed tones of wonder, he said, "Her temperature is 
normal...it seems that she's weak, but she'll recover..."
	The remainder of the words that the healer said disappeared 
from Darien's mind, as he could only stare at the slim figure of 
the girl lying on the bed, and thank God that she was given a 
second chance.  
	That he was given a second chance.  

***

	It was a full week later before the healer declared Serena 
well enough to receive visitors regularly, even though Darien had 
thrown a fit.  The moment she had begun to recover, the healer 
had barred all others but the queen in the case that something 
might disturb Serena again. 
	This hadn't stopped Darien from sneaking in at night and 
watching her while she slept.  He had not spoken with her at all, 
but seeing her at rest gave him a sense of peace...and it made 
him sleep easier at night as well.  
	Early in the morning, Darien walked toward Serena's room 
nervously.  Insecurities were having a field day with his wits, 
and he was unable to think straight, as all he could think about 
was a certain golden-haired girl with the bluest eyes he had ever 
seen.  
	He stood before the bedroom door and stared at it.  'This 
is it,' he realized.  'This will decide everything for me...'  
	He reached forward to open the door, but like before, 
someone else did the job for him.   
	In surprise, he stepped back and watched his mother come 
out.  
	Or was it his mother?  He had never seen his mother like 
this before.  She was literally glowing, and her eyes were soft 
and happy as she stepped out of the room.    
	Queen Lia looked at Darien, smiled, and stepped forward and 
kissed his cheek, much to his surprise.  "She's waiting for you, 
Darien," she said, before she walked down the hallway.  
	Darien took a deep breath and stepped inside to meet his 
destiny.  
	She was waiting for him, bright and awake for once in the 
early morning.  She was sitting up, propped behind by a bunch of 
pillows, and her hair was neatly brushed into a single braid 
behind her.  
	Darien instantly missed the meatballs, but before guilt 
could overtake him, he saw the smile that lit upon Serena's face 
upon seeing him, and he could not help but to smile back at her.  
	She held out her hand to him, and Darien stepped forward to 
took it.  He could not help but wonder at what she was going to 
say, but he was willing to do anything that she might ask.  
	"Hello, my name is Serena," she said softly, looking 
directly at him with a sparkle in her bright blue eyes, her 
cheeks flushed with that rosy red that Darien found enchanting.  
	Darien, to say the least, was dumbfounded.  He could not 
even think of a single reason as to why she would greet him this 
way...unless...
	"Serena, don't you remember me?" he blurted out, in shock.  
	She giggled then, a laugh that to Darien sounded like 
chimes singing in the breeze, and even in his confusion at her 
words he delighted in hearing it.  
	"Of course I remember you...but let's begin as if we never 
met each other before."  She smiled brilliantly at him, her eyes 
lighting up like sapphires.  "We never even really had the chance 
to say hello, you know."  

	A miracle.  
 
	Darien could hardly believe the amount of joy that ran 
through his heart; he felt he should burst from all the chances 
that he had been given that day.  A new chance at life, a new 
chance to start over with Serena...a new chance to win her love.  
	"Hello, Serena...my name is Darien."  Her hand was in his, 
and gazing into her eyes, he slowly brought it to his lips, and 
kissed it tenderly.  

****




That's long enough for part 3.  It was pretty unexpected what I 
did with it, isn't it?  I wanted to make an amnesia joke, but I 
decided not to.  Bad place to end it?  ^_^  Stay tuned for part 
4...okay, I've put off the romance long enough in this series.  
There it heats up!

--> yes, I know I focused more on Darien than on Serena in the 
second half of this chapter.  You'll all see how Serena feels and 
what she went through...eventually.  If I remember.

Things might seem a little anticlimactic after this point, in 
which case you might just want to wait for part 5, which is the 
*end* of the series.  This was a very important point in their 
relationship, though, don't you agree?  Still, I switch back to 
my more romantic and light hearted writing style for part 4, 
which'll probably please most of you.  ^_^    

E-mail, please!  I worked *really* hard on this chapter, so 
please e-mail...or sign my guestbook at my website.  Either way, 
I'd love to hear your comments!    



w. bymeeh ^_^ 
jhyunl@aol.com
http://jayhyun.tripod.com/sm/